What to Expect When Referring Your Patient for Medication Management

As a reminder, patients referred to Psychiatry for medication management will receive consultation and short-term management. We do not provide ongoing medication management.

Short-term medication management can range from two visits — for intake and recommendation/prescription — to taking over care for a few months to oversee a trial of medication. We require patients to be in therapy before considering medications, but therapy does not have to be with us. If the patient is requesting a second opinion on medication, we will see them and then provide recommendations to the referring provider, who would continue to provide ongoing care and medication management.

When referring your patient for a medication consultation with Seattle Children’s:

• Please note on the referral that you are requesting a medication consultation so we know to match them with an MD or APP rather than a master’s-level therapist or psychologist who cannot dispense medication.
• Refer them to the Autism Center if they have autism spectrum disorder. They will receive a medication evaluation there. Psychiatry sees youth with mood and anxiety issues, ADHD, oppositional behavior and psychosis.
• Share our handout with your patient: PE1724 Medicine Evaluation Visit: What to expect at a medicine evaluation clinic visit.

For additional support for your patients and to help them find treatment sooner:

• We recommend providers use the PAL line at 866-599-7257 as a first step in seeking medication support on a case. This can prevent delays in moving treatment forward, given the wait time in Psychiatry for medical evaluations.
• Patients who need ongoing medication management in addition to or rather than consultation should call the Washington state mental health referral line at 833-303-5437 for help finding an appropriate therapist.